Fun Factor: High
Fry Canyon is a remarkable little slot right next to the road. I must have driven past it a dozen times, thinking it was too hot out (usually about 110F) to do anything. Now I know better.
Two options are presented here. The Frylette or Short and Sweet option drops into the slot from the highway, swims and wades a hundred yards, then finds a scrambling exit to the right shortly thereafter. Time = 1 hour. Fun factor = high.
The Fry Canyon option continues downcanyon, does one 80' rappel into a beautiful cavern, and swims about 100 yards through a very amazing slot. A brief hike downcanyon and exit to the right allows return to the car. Time = 3 hours. Fun Factor = also high.
Canyon Profile
Logistics
RATINGS
Fry: 3B II★★★
Frylette: 2B I★★
TIME REQUIRED
Fry: 2-4 hours
Frylette: 1 hour
ACCESS
Route starts at bridge over Fry Canyon, Hwy 95. Return alongside the canyon to the same point.
PERMIT
Not required
SEASON
Spring, summer, or fall
Equipment
ESSENTIALS
Fry: 165' rope and rappelling gear. Drybags for your gear. This is a good canyon to have a lot of flotation in your pack.
Frylette: Drybags for your gear, flotation in your pack.
DRINKING WATER
Bring plenty
COLD WATER PROTECTION
Summer-level wetsuit
Skills Required
Long swims. One rappel in Fry Canyon.
The Business
A Refreshing-Oasis-in-the-Stinking-Hot-Desert, just don't look at the water too close. The Frylette offers a quick and stimulating swim through a cool slot canyon.
The navigation is really easy. Park at the Fry Canyon bridge, just past the Fry Canyon lodge. Head up-canyon about 1/4 mile, then drop into the slot.
Follow the slot down canyon. Scramble down a little slot and through some small potholes, then into the water. Swim. Quite a ways.
After your swim, enjoy the heat of the canyon. Traipse downcanyon about 5 minutes, to where some large boulders have fallen into the canyon on both sides. This is the first easy exit. It looks like one can exit on the right, but no easy way is found. Instead, climb steeply five feet up a slab on the left, to access a terrace with two giant boulders on it. Scramble up among some smaller boulders to the rim. Follow the rim of the canyon back to the bridge.
Even-More-Fun-in-the-Stinking-Hot-Desert, by continuing down Fry Canyon, you can rappel into a very cool flooded chamber, and swim out the bottom.
Keep Going: from the end of the Frylette, continue downcanyon about 30 minutes. Eventually you come to an area of slickrock, with a slot forming in the bottom. Locate a two bolt anchor on the right, and rappel 85 feet to the bottom and the edge of a pool. Perhaps you were feeling a little warm? Not for long.
Swim 100 to 200 yards through a wonderful slot canyon.
After the swim, hike downcanyon past a ruin and a short narrows section to where the main canyon comes in on the right. It seems pretty obvious now, but for some reason, Brian and I walked right by it and down White Canyon for a couple of miles. Hike UP White Canyon about 15 minutes to where a series of ledges and dirt allows exit from the canyon on the right. There are some cairns and a small trail going up here - follow to the rim. Then follow the edge of the canyon back to Highway 95.
Trip Reports
There are no trip reports for this canyon at this time. Stay tuned. Or better yet, submit your own trip report here.
Maps
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